God, our Creator, loves us and calls us into a loving relationship with Himself.
Our human inclination is to turn from God—that is, to sin— which separates us from God. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
Jesus took the punishment that we deserve. We can have complete forgiveness for sin, and be assured of fellowship with God for all eternity, by entering into a personal relationship with Christ, by faith.
Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). When we decide to follow Jesus our lives change. We become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). We enjoy an intimate relationship with God the Father. We learn to hear His voice, and receive direction for our lives.
If you’re not sure what to say, try this prayer:
“Lord Jesus, I need You. I am sorry for all the wrong things I have done in my life. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Saviour and Lord. Thank You for forgiving me and giving me eternal life. Take control of every area of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.”
God responds to all who genuinely seek Him in faith. If you have prayed in this way, trust Him to begin to work in your heart and life as He has promised, and to reveal Himself to you.
Following Jesus is the most rewarding decision you will ever make. A relationship with Him enrichs every area of your life, and impacts the way you perceive and interact with the world - Including your family, your friends, and your community
Believers at every stage of their journey with Jesus benefit from continued encouragement and intentional discipleship—the process of learning how to become more like Jesus.
At Bethel we call this process Next Steps.
Our church is affiliated with The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada(PAOC) which has over 1,100 churches across Canada. The PAOC website has much more information about its history and practice.
For a complete and downloadable listing of our Statement of Fundamental and Essential Truths click here.
There is nothing more important that worship. It has been said that “we all worship something or someone.” The question is what or who we worship.
At Bethel Pentecostal Church we want all of life to be worship to God (Romans 12:1-2; 1 Cor. 10:31).
Our Heavenly Father is worthy to receive all glory and honor and power (Rev. 4:11).
It is very important to the leadership of this assembly that our worship services on Sundays and each time we meet together are designed to be pleasing to God. As we gather together on the “Lords Day”, it is crucial we recognize that all we do is done under the authority of God’s word (The Bible). This is our solemn duty and joyful privilege.
It is with that goal in mind that we hold to a number of values when it comes to corporate worship!
1) Glory to God – Worship is ultimately for Him. He is the most important audience at every service.
2) Edifying to God’s people – Corporate worship must build up the body of Christ. Believers should be equipped, comforted and exhorted.
3) Understandable - New words and concepts may be introduced, but the service should be intelligible to all who are in attendance.
4) Biblical - The whole service teaches those who are in attendance, so everything – the prayers, the songs, the preaching must be bible based. We feel it is important to read the Bible, preach the Bible, pray the Bible, sing the Bible and see the Bible fulfilled in our lives.
5) Emphasizing Grace - We are truly aware of the grace that was afforded to us and that we are channels of the grace which we have so freely and generously been given.
6) Relevant Preaching - The proclamation of God’s Word (Bible) is a vital part of each of our services. Each message is carefully, prayerfully prepared through sensitively waiting on the Holy Spirit. Messages are based on scripture and proclaim the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
7) Thoughtful - Our services are planned to give each one in attendance an opportunity to participate in singing and worship and to experience and encounter the presence of our Heavenly Father.
8) Mixing of Old & New – We believe there are new songs to be sung to Jesus. We also believe there is a great heritage of church music that we can embrace. You will find that our services use music from different genres and different times. We also use a variety of different instruments to embrace the gifting and abilities of our members. It is important to us that everyone participates, so congregational singing is encouraged.
9) Prayerful – Our services include a number of different prayers. There may be private prayer where attendees are encouraged to pray silently or out loud. There is the prayer for needs that are mentioned. There may be a prayer of confession of sin. We encourage attendees to feel free to express their needs or offer praise for what God has done in their lives during our worship/prayer times.
***Why Do We Lift Our Hands?
***Why Do We Clap Our Hands? This action is used as an expression of gratitude and joy.
***Why This Type Of Worship? We encourage each attendee to worship in a way that they are comfortable with. Some will express themselves verbally while others are more comfortable with silent expressions. The important thing for us is that each person is able to feel and sense the presence of the Holy Spirit and have an encounter during their time here.
***Why Do We Sing Hymns & Choruses? We believe that all through history there have been individuals who have been anointed and inspired to put their adoration of the Father into poetry and then add music to it. These expressions are like vehicles that lead us to the throne and allow us to experience the presence of the Lord.
***Why Are Musical Instruments A Part Of Our Worship? God had gifted and equipped different people with abilities to play instruments and it is important for them to be able to use these for the Glory of the one who has provided them. For this reason we desire to offer opportunity for these individuals to express their worship in this way.
***Why Do We Sometimes Weep In Worship? One song writer penned the words “Tears are a language God understands”. It really is true. Whether those tears are born out of grief and sorrow or guilt and despair or joy and jubilation; every one that flows from our eyes does not go unnoticed by a loving Heavenly Father whose Son showed great emotion while He walked on this earth.
***Why Do We Pray Together? Prayer is a powerful and effective tool that was given to us. It is an open door of communication with the creator of the entire universe. He invites us to come to Him and access His assistance in every aspect of our lives. By praying together in our worship times we are able to join others with like mind and heart to present petitions and to see answers to those prayers.
***Why Do We Pray Aloud? These prayers are often an encouragement to those who perhaps have difficulty expressing themselves in prayer or give strength to one who may be struggling.
***Why Do We Speak in Other Tongues? This practice is uniquely evident in Pentecostal Services. It was on the day of Pentecost that the disciples first experienced it in Acts 2:4. We accept this as an outward evidence of the Holy Spirit coming upon believers. A serious study of the scriptures and an open minded appraisal of this manifestation should lead one to conclude the following:
Our desire is that each person will come to a new appreciation of time spent together as community and family in this time of worship. There may be times in which God will take us out of our personal “comfort zone” in an expression of worship but I am truly confident that this will only cause us to draw even closer in our relationship with Him.
Allow Him the freedom to direct our thoughts during this special time together.
Should you have any other questions, please feel free to connect with the pastor.